Islip, NY Garage & Yard Sales: Frequency, Duration & Permits (2026)

Islip's Sales of Personal Property chapter, Town Code Ch. 43, defines a 'personal property sale' as offering more than five items of tangible personal property for sale on a lot where a dwelling is located: the code's own catch-all for a 'garage sale,' 'lawn sale,' 'attic sale,' 'rummage sale' or 'flea market sale' (§ 43-2). Under § 43-3, that sale is flatly prohibited unless the seller actually resides on the lot, the goods being sold belong to or are controlled by the seller or another person at that lot, and the seller has first obtained a permit from the Town Clerk.

Before the Clerk issues the permit, § 43-3B requires the applicant to supply the seller's name, the lot owner's name and written consent if the applicant isn't the owner, the sale location, proof the lot is the seller's residence, the number of sale days, and the date of any prior sale at that address. A permit fee, set by the Town Board under § 43-5, must be paid. Charitable organizations get a parallel track under § 43-7: any charity selling goods it owns or controls must also secure a Town Clerk permit, obtained by an Islip resident, subject to the same §§ 43-3B and 43-4 conditions.

The Town Clerk's office administers the program, and applicants should plan ahead since the permit, once issued, is only valid for the dates printed on it.